hfxbenoit Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Hey, does anybody know of any fossil hunting sites in or around Halifax, Pennsylvania? The site needs to be within an hour or so of driving time, and fairly accessible. The site will be visited by a Paleontological Club I started in school. "Life will find a way"-Ian Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessed1 Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 A quick look on mapquest shows St. Clair is an hour and a few minutes from your location. In case your haven't heard, it is famous for it's fern fossils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Deer Lake is about an hour and 17 minutes away from Halifax. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Donald Hoskins book, Fossil Collecting in Pennsylvania would be really good to own. It lists sites for almost every county in your state. While some sites listed no longer exist, others do and are still productive. That book lists good Devonian age sites near Rockville, Seven Stars, and Kistler. The Seven Stars site I know is still being visited by the Delaware Valley Paleontological Society. St. Clair, mentioned above, I've visited and would strongly recommend. Anyway, good luck and happy collecting. Best wishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Best bet is to reach out to the Central Pennsylvania Rock and Mineral club: http://www.rockandmineral.org/ . They can help your group with some good spots as well as advice and knowledge and you may want to join so you can attend their field trips as well. -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfxbenoit Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 Thank you all for your informative responses. I've been aware of the Seven Stars site, and have been there personally with the Delaware Valley Paleontological Society, and Fossil Guy, from fossilguy.com. However, I've never heard of a site in Rockville, although I know where that town is. Could someone send me directions to that site, as well as some pics of what could be found there? Thanks, hfxbenoit, a.k.a. "Fossil Geek" "Life will find a way"-Ian Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I would not recommend the site in Rockville. Hard to get to, you have to walk along a railroad to get there and then hike up the side of a mountain, and it's not very productive any more since it is overgrown. Seven Stars is good and you might want to visit a pit north of Liverpool off Old Trail Rd. -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfxbenoit Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 I've also heard about a site called Swatara Gap State Park. a look on Mapquest shows that its pretty close to my location. Does anybody have any information on that site? "Life will find a way"-Ian Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 (edited) I've also heard about a site called Swatara Gap State Park. a look on Mapquest shows that its pretty close to my location. Does anybody have any information on that site? Other members will chime in on this hopefully, but to the best of my knowledge the original Ordovician site at Swatara Gap has been off limits for years. At some point the park had a dump(?) site where you could collect Devonian material. I would contact the park to get more info. Edited November 1, 2014 by erose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 (edited) I tried the dump site this summer when in the area visiting. NO fossils other than a few broken bits of brachiopods. Appears to have been overcollected. Would skip this site. It was a pretty walk through the woods though. Did explore the surrounding area, where an interstate crossed over a road, not sure which road and stumbled upon a fragile trilobite off the beaten path. Slipped on the way down the steep rocky hill and dropped my specimen. It broke MANY pieces, some I could not retrieve. So came home with only its front third but at least a good memory. Edited November 1, 2014 by minnbuckeye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfxbenoit Posted November 2, 2014 Author Share Posted November 2, 2014 Thanks for the info on Swatara Gap. "Life will find a way"-Ian Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerrimarie805 Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 I'm thinking you're too far from Bucks County to plan a dig in a spot that I am only learning about myself, but I do believe that there are sites that have yet to be over-picked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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